Because It's Samhain, And Stuff...

... I present to you, my list of the scariest movies, and later of games, ever.



By scary, I mean SCARY. I do not mean bloody, gross-out, vomit-inducing torture fests. Wolf Creek is a perfect example of this - there's nothing SCARY about it. There's a lot of blood and guts, though, so if that's your thing, go for it.



I prefer the CREEPY to the ICKY. It's more honest.



And this list does NOT include any movies of the "BOO!!!" school of filmmaking; there's a difference between startled and scared.



25. The Others  This movie is a perfect example of a "pure" horror movie. There's no blood - literally, at ALL - in the movie, and yet it creeps you out quite effectively, without ever going for a cheap "something jumps out" moment. Somehow, it came in under the radar that year; definitely worth a look.

24. Evil Dead  There is in fact quite a bit of gore in this movie. However, Raimi's camera work makes it about a thousand times as creepy and disturbing as it would have been otherwise; watching the original, you feel at any given moment as if someone is about to get chomped on by horrors that are right behind them.

23. Dawn Of The Dead (Original. The remake sucked.) And, I will tell you why. The true horror of this movie is not found in its effects, but in the completely prosaic nature of the filmmaking - you only reach the truest horror in this film when you realize that the zombies are shopping - because consumerism is so ingrained in their American consciousness that it survives death itself. The remake completely failed to even notice this subtext, and lost a great deal of the film's impact as a result.

22. One Hour Photo  First, this is one of the more effective horror movies ever made, period. Sadly, because there's nothing supernatural about what happens, most people lump it in with the often comical "psychological thriller" genre. I assure you, no greater disservice could be made to this fine film. Robin Williams (!) plays a neighborhood supermarket's photo technician, and watching him dissolve into insanity centered upon a family whose lives he believes he shares is one of the most disturbing portrayals ever put on film.

21. The Sentinel  The setup is simple: a model moves into a new, very nice apartment building, only to discover that her neighbors are unusual. Except they're not unusual - they're crazy. Except they're not crazy - they're Satanists. Except they're not just Satanists, they're... At every level, this film delivers the goods, revealing its poisonous secret like an onion with a rotten core.

20. Jacob's Ladder  The only flaw from which this film suffers is that a lot of audience members "get it," about halfway through. The gradual dissolution of Jacob Singer's life into insanity is highly effective, and very, very disturbing. The ending is inevitable, although slightly disappointing - as a viewer, you wanted something more, but you can understand why it had to end the way it did. Very powerful filmmaking.

19. They  This film is unusual in two senses; first, because I am not aware of another film in which the fear of the dark is more effectively exploited, and conveyed; and second, because it was received poorly not because of the quality of the movie itself, but  because it had multiple endings - in all of which the good guys lose. I guess the "Hollywood ending" triumphed, because this movie didn't do at all well in theaters or on DVD.

18. The Omen (Original.) This movie made the boy's name "Damien" synonymous with evil; how much more successful do you want a movie to be?

17. Halloween  This is one of the pioneers of the "slasher" subgenre; however, John Carpenter as usual manages to make it more creepy and disturbing than bloody. Michael Myers is a seriously disturbing, and disturbed, villain - and very, very effective simply by virtue of his perceived emotionlessness.

16. A Nightmare On Elm Street  This movie is both bloody and scary as hell; Freddy Krueger is a more disturbing killer than Jason Voorhees in every way, because he's so obviously NOT emotionless. He taunts his victims, makes their deaths a cruel joke, and in every way outclasses Jason, who is ultimately just a really big, angry zombie.

15. Children Of The Corn  Satanic cultist children who've killed every adult in town in service to an invisible demon that lives in a cornfield? Combine that with clueless passers-by, and you have a recipe for nightmare. Sadly, you DON'T have a recipe for good sequels; this is the only one of the series worthy of mention.

14. Poltergeist  An American classic. This film was directed by Tobe Hooper, whose name you may recognize from the gore-fest The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This is in every way superior; Hooper deftly builds the horror from a generic suburbia until seeing coffins pop out of the front lawn and spill shrieking skeletons on your porch is a good "BOO!" but not unexpected, if you follow. If you've never let yourself actually sit all the way through this movie, give it a try. It's very effective.

13. Darkness  Anna Paquin, oddly enough, is totally believable in this movie. Although the unrated DVD promises oceans of blood, that's simply not true; there's some gore in this movie, true, but the horror lies not in the deaths that occur, but in the sense of inevitability that pertains to every step in the story. The characters' actions are predetermined, and despite their desperate struggles to escape, Fate has dealt them a harsh hand indeed.

12. Rosemary's Baby  This movie is a classic for a reason. Ira Levin's screenplay builds tension and a sense of wrongness almost as expert as the next movie on the list, and the acting is simply top-notch.

11. Session 9  Abandoned asylums are already creepy. Add in an asbestos-removal crew, one of whom is homeless and living in his car, another of whom is listening to the tapes of therapy sessions conducted with the former patients, and add in the gradual disappearance of the team members, and you create a movie that is subtly, disturbingly, wrong - and that wrongness builds, until at the end of the movie you're left wondering if it was all simple insanity, or if there was a supernatural element involved, after all. A film that leaves you guessing in every way, but disturbed by the implications of the questions it makes you ask in and of themselves.

10. Alien  Unlike the more "action-movie" style sequels, the original is in every way a creepy film. There's only one alien, fine; but how do you kill it, when you have no weapons, and can't even find it? The alien seems half unstoppable killing machine, and half sadistic stalker, almost toying with the crew of the Nostromo as it kills them one-by-one in a labyrinthine cat-and-mouse game.

9. 28 Days Later  Waking up alone in a hospital would be bad enough. Finding out you're alone because everyone else in London is either dead, gone, or transformed into something I can only call a "fast zombie," and there's no help to be had; now that's horror. The zombies in this film aren't Romero's slow, deliberate creatures; they're furious, ravenous, and faster on their feet than you are. What do you do when the world has ended, and you didn't go with it?

8. Ju-On  Remade in the U.S. as "The Grudge," the original is in every way superior. Not only do the Japanese actors carry the film better than did SMG - sorry, SMG - but the non-linear storyline actually heightens the tension, as (unlike the remake,) you're never quite sure until the end of the EXACT sequence of events. Not knowing WHEN the ghost "gets" someone, but knowing that you've already seen them get "gotten," gives the film a twisted internal logic that makes it far more disturbing than the remake.

7. Ringu  Remade quite popularly as "The Ring," again this is superior to the remake. Although the director of the remake did a competent job, he didn't understand the Japanese culture enough to understand the true horror of some of the famous scenes. For example: when the ghost comes out of the TV - the character in the original is maybe 4 feet from her, and backed up against a wooden railing with nowhere to go. It's about CLAUSTROPHOBIA, and Verbinski - the American director - simply didn't understand that. He also explained the story at such great length that it overwhelmed itself a bit; the original expects you to keep up, and rewards you for doing so with one of the creepiest movies ever made, not just in the last decade, but ever.

6. The Exorcist  This movie is a classic. I will admit that for me it's not as powerful as most people make it out to be, but I'm not a Christian, and since so much of the movie's terror is based in sacrilege, some of it is simply lost on me. It's effective, despite that; a powerful, disturbing piece of filmmaking. I actually think that the film's strongest point is Regan's mother - whose name, both in and out of character, escapes me - who sells her desperation and frustration with the total indifference her daughter's predicament receives to the hilt and beyond. A brilliant acting job in every way.

5. Inner Senses  This movie borrows a few things from The Sixth Sense, but then turns them from "pretty scary" into "OMGWTF." Not only that, but it contains one of the most impossibly difficult-to-watch sequences ever on film - without any gore; and has a creepy ghost story related to the actual filmmaking itself. The lead actor of the film, some months after the film was complete, committed suicide - in the exact fashion the ghost in the film was trying to induce - from the same building - after leaving a note stating that he was being haunted by the spirit whose story is revealed in this creepy, tragic, sad movie. It's somewhat hard to find in the U. S., but I urge you to check it out.

4. The Thing  John Carpenter achieved with this film something that has been done only with extreme rarity in Hollywood - the faithful translation of a work of fiction to the screen. Based on - to the point of taking dialogue directly from - John W. Campbell, Jr.'s excellent novella "Who Goes There?" this film is one of the most effective exercises in paranoia ever put together. Imagine, if you will, an alien creature with the ability to mimic any living thing so perfectly that it is undetectable to medicine. Now imagine that you are trapped in an Antarctic research station during a blizzard, and YOU DON'T KNOW how many of the other people trapped with you are "things" and how many are still human. A classic in every way, the director's cut of this belongs on every horror aficionado's DVD rack. *As a note, the "sequel," was made as a game - a really excellent game, in fact, which picks up the story after the movie leaves off.*

3. The Blair Witch Project  So does this. TBWP did something never really done before - it didn't tell the actors what was going on either. Basically, the actors were taken out in the woods, given cameras, and then the film crews screwed with them to scare the crap out of them. The "big reveal" that sells out the terror in most films never happens with this one; at the end of the movie, you're left knowing something awful happened, but not knowing what it was. Effective at every level, this film works even if you're the world's biggest skeptic, simply because the actors aren't trying to sell anything; they're really scared. Reality is the biggest "realism" you can get.

2. Kairo  I actually hesitate to mention the fact that this was remade, because the American version was so monumentally terrible that the mere naming of it might prevent you from seeing this unbelievably creepy movie. This movie is a ghost story in the best way; the ghosts are ourselves, and the revelation of their goals comes as the culmination of a progression of creepiness that is a winner in my book. If you have any skin left after this film, you're tough - mine crawled off and went next door.

1. The Shining. (Original.) How much do I have to tell you about this? Stanley Kubrick set the bar, and no-one's ever even come close. This movie is the creepiest movie ever made, by a mile. At times, it's actually difficult to watch, not because of the grotesquerie onscreen, but because you want to crawl under a blanket and hope that the chick from Ju-On won't get you.



Honorable Mentions:

Dark Water. (The remake, oddly enough.) While the original was certainly competent and creepy, the remake brings in an aspect of insanity that adds to the overall wrongness inherent in this excellent film. Jennifer Connelly sells it, every inch; while not good enough to be in the top 25, if this had been a 30 list, it would be there.

The Eye 2. This movie didn't make the list only because the ending is so oddly hopeful. The rest of the film is so breathtakingly disturbing that it's hard to describe. However, I will say this. At the end of the film, there came a moment where I paused the DVD, turned to Tara, and said "Now, if I were making this, it would end like this..." and unpaused, only to see the exact scene I described unreel before my eyes. An amazing film; the Pang brothers rock.

Ringu 2. Again superior to - and in fact almost totally unrelated to - its remake, Ringu 2 has one of the most excellently creepy single scenes ever filmed right smack in its middle; sadly, it's not strong enough to make the list, but is an excellent film nonetheless, and sits proudly on my DVD rack.

Suicide Circle. This movie is so AMAZINGLY bloody that it stayed off the list just based on its gore factor - but it is in fact quite creepy. It takes more than one viewing to really "get it," though; it didn't soak all the way in for me until I had watched it a second time. The first time, I just thought that the director smoked a huge crack rock about halfway through. The second time, though, I began to realize that this is one of the better horror movies I've ever seen. If you have a strong stomach, give it a chance, if you can find it. But remember to watch it twice.

The Sixth Sense. This movie seems a shoe-in for the list, except for the fact that it has a "happy" ending. It's almost a pure ghost story, and despite his subsequent movies' lack of equal success, M. Night Shyamalan has created here an outstanding movie, with meticulous attention to detail that gives the clues needed to solve its puzzle while skillfully misdirecting you in a sort of directorial prestidigitation that leaves you shocked when you see the ending the first time, despite the clues being glaringly obvious on a second viewing. It's that second viewing that keeps it off the list; once you get the twist, the creepiness is mostly gone.

Suspiria. This movie is a classic, but honestly, I've never thought of it as anything like as strong as its hype. Feel free to disagree; there are those who swear it's the best horror film ever made, and they're welcome to their opinion. It's a strong film, but just didn't make the cut, IMO.

Audition. Off the list because at its core it's hardcore S&M. Very, very horrifying S&M. I'd actually count this one as a double entry for Audition and Hostel - both are the same type of movie, although Audition is slower-paced, which I think gives the resolution a bit more kick.

The Birds. Off the list because Tippi Hedrin CANNOT FUCKING ACT. The movie is in every way superior, EXCEPT for Tippi Hedrin's utterly unbearable overacting.

The Quiet Earth. Off the list because ultimately, it's Sci-Fi, not horror; but let me ask this. How would you like it if you woke up one morning and found out that you were the last living human in the entire world - all the others except the dead having vanished into thin air - and then found out that it was your fault? I didn't think you would.

Event Horizon. Sci-Fi horror at its finest. What if you send out an experimental spaceship, and it vanished - and then came back years later? The Event Horizon is a classic "ghost ship" story in every way, and wildly effective; it's kept off the list because it's MY list, and the lack of attention to detail by the director drove me up the wall. It's effective, and creepy; scary as hell, and definitely worth watching. Just don't pay attention to the length of time of the recording they play back repeatedly, as it changes significantly each time they hear it.

Phantasm 2. Much better than the first, with better effects, a more mature storyline, and the Tall Man, this is one of my "guilty pleasure" movies; I watch it whenever I see it come on TV. One of these days I will see it for sale somewhere on DVD, and snap it up. Better than all the other movies in the series, combined. Not quite up to the standard set by the rest of the list, but fun as hell nonetheless.



And then, there's the games - same criteria.



10.  System Shock 2. A ghost ship, inhabited by the mutated remnants of its crew, who beg for death as they try to kill you, and an insane AI make this a solid, creepy game. Even if it is old.

9.  Dark Seed. Older by a good bit than SS2, this game is a horror classic, blending nightmare into reality in a fashion determined by your play - the longer you take, the more disturbing your circumstances get.

8.  Clock Tower. I heard a quote that said it pretty well: the problem with survival in a horror game is that you have to keep doing it. The killer in Clock Tower is remorseless, relentless, and physically unstoppable; the best you can do is hide from him - or watch youself get impaled on gigantic garden shears, over and over. Scissorman pops up in a fashion I wish the makers of Doom 3 had emulated - UNPREDICTABLY. You never know when he's going to show up and ruin your day. Too many wanna-be creepy games - like Doom 3 - make the mistake of making the enemy spawns so commonplace that there's no paranoia. This game is excellently paranoid. Slow-paced, severely creepy, and paranoid in the extreme.

7.  Eternal Darkness. This game actually crosses a boundary of some sort, making you question whether ANYTHING that happens in the game "in fact" happened, or if it's merely the game showing off how brilliantly crazy it really is again. Nothing is certain; nothing is fixed; and nothing is ever, ever, ever something you can rely on. If that doesn't induce paranoia, nothing can.

6.  Fatal Frame. Armed only with a camera, you venture into the most haunted house anywhere ever. Since so much of the game takes place through the lens of the camera, it's almost as though you, the player, are making your own horror movie, and deciding through your pictures how creepy you want it to be. Severely disturbing, in every way.

5.  Resident Evil 1 (Remake) The original was limited in great degree by the Playstation hardware; the GameCube remake is vastly better, both in terms of playability and in terms of visuals. Although elements of "Boo!" and gore both exist in great degree, the fact that the main characters don't actually know what's going on outside of "there's zombies, wtf," lends itself to a creeping nervousness every time you approach a door or corner.

4.  Fatal Frame 2. Why stop at a haunted house, when you can have a whole haunted TOWN? Armed again with a simple camera, you quickly find yourself becoming more and more caught up in a ghost story whose every revelation deepens the horror. Excellent sound work, combined with visuals easily the equal of those in Ringu or Ju-On, make an evil alchemy indeed.

3.  Clock Tower 3. What's more horrifying than an unarmed victim fleeing an unstoppable killer? Well, an unarmed 13-year-old girl fleeing an unstoppable UNDEAD killer, whose mere presence can scare her so badly she actually runs in circles aimlessly rather than obeying the controls. Alyssa can be scared to a point where she will attempt to flee her hiding place - often right into the arms of the enemy. For me, this game had me when I was stalking clues about the first killer - and hid behind a curtain to escape him. He came right up to the curtain, sniffed, and said "Alyssa... I can smell you... Come out, Alyssa...." Rock. On.

2.  Silent Hill. Having a car accident is bad. Waking up to find your daughter missing is worse. Finding out you're trapped in a suburb of Hell, and somehow your daughter is at the center of the forces that conspired to make it that way, is so wrong it doesn't even allow description. This game succeeds on every level, and I hope at some point Sony has the genius to beg, on bended knee, to get Konami to remake it for the PS3. One of the things that works the most in this game's favor is the fact that the protagonist is NOT a trained officer of some kind - Harry Mason is an everyday Joe Schmoe if ever there was one. He gets out of breath if he runs too far, can't shoot to save his ass - literally - and trips and falls down trying to jump off a porch. It endears you to the character - and ties you more viscerally to the horror of what he witnesses.

1.  Silent Hill 2. This game edges out the first for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that as you progress you begin to realize that the hero, James Sunderland, is not much of a "hero" at all, and may in fact be in Silent Hill for a good reason. Beginning with his receipt of a letter from his wife - who's been dead for some time - James descends into a Hell ultimately of his own manufacture, at every step making the decisions that lead him deeper, in an unstoppable progression of horror and unremitting paranoia. This game - and the series as a whole - exploits the fear of the dark, and fear of the unknown, with great expertise, along with effective sound work and gruelingly terrifying lack of surety. Like Eternal Darkness, nothing in Silent Hill is what it seems, but in Silent Hill, what you don't know may just leave you alive. Ultimately, that can sometimes be worse.



Honorable Mention:

The Suffering. Haunted prison = scary. Haunted prison in which the ghosts are killing the guards and inmates around you, and stalking you, is worse. The moment that this game tips over into genius is the moment where you realize that the ghosts are herding you, towards a revelation that depends on your behavior in the game itself. This game would be much weaker without the multiple endings; thankfully, the developers had the good sense to see that the character must change during the course of the game, and that those changes should change the ending. Not revolutionary; not genre-changing, but skillful and competent, with abundant scares, enough gore to satisfy the gross-out fans, sound work that should win some kind of award, action galore, and a storyline that makes your every decision critically important to the outcome, however minor it seems at the time.



There you go; bearing in mind that all of these are based on nothing more than my opinion, that's my list of the scariest movies and games ever made.



Happy Samhain!